Several groups formerly treated within Scarabaeidae have been upgraded to family rank [taxonomy discussed in(1)]

Explanation of Names

There are various accounts of the origin of "scarab":

Westwood (1839:191-198): "The origin of the name Scarabaeus appears doubtful; the word, indeed, never occurs but in the writings of Latin authors; yet Fabricius and Olivier give its derivation from the Greek σκαπτω; which Mr. MacLeay doubts, considering it to be of Etruscan origin, adding, that it may have been obtained from the Greek σκαριφαοµαι, the verb διασκαριφησαι being properly applied to the actions of animals which scratch or dig up the earth with their claws. Pliny accordingly gave a particular description of the sacred beetle of the Egyptians under the name Scarabaeus; and, in later times, Linnaeus applied it in a general manner to the whole of the Lamellicorn beetles.."

The Century Dictionary(2) states that English scarab is derived via French from Latin scarabeus, meaning ‘beetle’ –- compare Greek καραβοσ, καραβιοσ ‘a horned beetle, stag-beetle, also a type of crab’; compare also Sanskrit karabha ‘locust’ (the often-cited reconstructed Greek forms *σκαραβειοσ and *σκαραβοσ are not authentic). (BugGuide editorial note: The connection with related Greek and Sanskrit words would indicate an Indo-European origin for the word. Etruscan, mentioned by Westwood, was not a Indo-European language. Note that this etymology shows that the words scarab and carabid are related.)

Eric Partridge, in Origins: a Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English (1958), gives some information for the related word carbine suggesting a possible connection of the Latin and Greek words with Egyptian kheprer ‘dung beetle’ (a scarab in the narrow sense; compare Khepri, the Egyptian god associated with the dung beetle.) Egyptian amulets representing the sacred scarab beetles were traded throughout the Mediterranean world; perhaps the word spread as well, but the resemblance between the Indo-European and Egyptian words may be also coincidental.

Numbers

ca. 28,000 spp. worldwide(1), ca. 1700 spp. in ~125 genera in the Nearctic region(3)(4), of which ca. 1400 occur north of Mexico(5), ca. 235 in Canada and Alaska(6)

NOTE: The taxonomy of the huge group traditionally called ‘Aphodius’ is a work in progress. In the Guide Aphodius is still treated as a single genus with many subgenera (now considered by most workers to be separate genera). We included thumbnails showing members of all the subgenera represented in the Guide. (More info here.)

North American species, 2-62 mm, mostly 2-20 mm. Exotic members may reach 160 mm and weights of 100 g. This family includes the heaviest of our beetles, Dynastes.

Identification

variable in shape, oval to elongated, usually convex; often brown or black, but a few groups brightly colored and/or patterned. In some groups males (and sometimes females) have prominent horns on head and/or pronotum to fight over mates or resources.

Characteristics:

front tibia widened with outer edges toothed

antennae 10- or 9-segmented

last 3-7 antennomeres flattened (lamellate) to form a club that can be expanded or folded

Adults take a variety of foods, many feeding on fungus, dung, carrion, or other decomposing matter, some on sap, pollen/nectar, fruit, foliage; a few are agricultural pests, others, important pollinators. Larvae typically feed on decomposing matter: dung, carrion, etc., or live in soil and feed on roots -- some of these are agricultural pests.

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